A $300K matching gift challenge is underway to maintain statewide programming for libraries, museums and cultural organizations.
If you would like to become a member, click here. Questions? Please contact Membership Coordinator Mara Utterback at mutterback@flahum.org or 727-873-2002.
Save Florida’s Stories
In the wake of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Florida Humanities is launching a campaign to raise $300,000 by Sept. 1 to sustain its statewide programming.
The federal cuts to NEH resulted in the elimination of more than $1.7 million in annual funding to Florida Humanities—a significant blow that will impact the organization’s 50-year mission of preserving, promoting, and sharing the history and heritage of Florida.
“This loss threatens the very foundation of our work,” said Nashid Madyun, Executive Director of Florida Humanities. “Without this vital support, hundreds of local museums, libraries, and cultural nonprofits that rely on our grants — many with operating budgets under $500,000 — face program cuts or even closure. We’re calling on supporters statewide to help us keep Florida’s stories alive.”
To help close the gap, prominent philanthropist Hugh Culverhouse Jr. has pledged to match all donations up to $250,000 through September 1. In late April, the Mellon Foundation announced an additional $50,000 in emergency funding, bringing the total matching opportunity to $300,000.
“For more than 50 years, Florida Humanities has preserved and shared the history and heritage of our state,” said Culverhouse. “It is the only organization of its kind in Florida, and I’m proud to offer a challenge to help save our state’s storyteller.”
Since 1973, Florida Humanities has provided more than $20 million in support of statewide cultural resources and public programs strongly rooted in the humanities. In 2024 alone, more than $520,000 was awarded to 71 cultural partners, reaching nearly half a million Floridians.
“Without Florida Humanities funding, we lose the ability to create programs that bring people in, build literacy, and remind our community that the library is here for them,” said Jennifer Movic, Literacy Programming Specialist at Lake Worth Beach City Library.
Funds raised will help Florida Humanities continue its work, bringing vital programming to all 67 counties. Through this emergency campaign, collaborations with the Smithsonian Institution and Library of Congress Center for the Book, the signature Florida Talks speaker series and the award-winning FORUM magazine will not only continue, but endure.
There is still so much left to be written about Florida. With the support of generous donations, Florida Humanities will continue to tell the stories that shape the state and inspire generations to come.
